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Letters to the editor

Jan. 22, 2014

City and community need to care for this towns pioneer cemeteries

To the editor:

I am ashamed of the city of Molalla celebrating the 100 year history, with the great historical cemetery that we have here in this town, for not doing something with it for the Centennial celebrations. There it sits, the oldest families of Molalla, and hardly anyone knows about it.

Many years ago in this town, I remember people talking of bringing people into town as a recreational and family town. Well, we also have a historical town. Genealogy and history are big business. Just ask anyone who has gone to another town to search for their families: gravesites, city records, church records, and yes, ancestry on the Internet. I dont remember how many people have told me they went to Oysterville, and have seen the old cemetery there with the Indian Chief grave, or the Sea Captains special marker for his wife that used to wait for him, as he was out to sea. I have gone to Wallace, Idaho (where the movie Volcano was filmed) in search of family records; checked out the Old Nine Mile Cemetery, and library records, church records etc..

How many people have gone to the Apple Festival in Molalla, or seen all the old quilts and artifacts from the Dibble House? How many people in this town, are related, through one line or another, to the Dibble family, the Sawtell Family, the Jackson Family, or the Austin Family? Look around, you might be surprised.

You worry about what your children are not learning in school? Well, are you teaching them about your own family history? How many children today know about Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys? Well, my family is related, and I talk about things with my grandchildren and my great grandchildren that I find out.

The travel that our pioneer families had to take in wagons across the United States alone has so much history. One of my grandsons teachers had the children make a model of a Conestoga wagon in grade school. While he was making it, I told him of his family being part of the Whitman Massacre, in Walla Walla. My granddaughter was listening and wanted to know more. I took them to the Oregon Trail museum in Oregon City, and there was a book on their family that told of the boys in the family dying at Walla Walla, and more of their family history of uur town and its people.

We had a Senator Wright in this town, and he died of the fever. Do we know where he is buried? His family farm is still active and there are descendants of his here. He had several children, where are their families today? Did you know the first teasel seeds were brought here by the Sawtell Family? Their dishes were packed in the seeds. The Teasels were first used for carding wool.

Join our local historical society, get involved with preserving our pioneer past; help our pioneer cemeteries be discovered, and nurtured and cared for; stones broken and disarrayed, fences that need mending, and uncared grounds. Not acceptable. We need white picket fences with wooden signs above the cemeteries showing how proud we are of the families and the work they did to start our town.

All cemeteries need constant care, but why do we forget the oldest pioneer cemeteries? Start the new year out right. Help preserve the history of Molalla. Make the historical society and the Dibble House, and the Dibble, Jackson, Larkin Cemetery and others a number-one priority this year. Teach your children and your grandchildren the history of this great United States of America.

Patricia Larsen

Molalla

Adult Center appreciates donations

To the editor:

The Molalla Adult Community Center would like to thank the staff at our local Safeway for their generous cash donation this past month. We appreciate your support of our nutrition program, which provides meals for seniors and those with disabilities within our community. It is with donations like these that we are able to continue to serve this community in an area that is so close to all our hearts. Thank you for helping us do what we love to do.

Jodi Lee-Hill

Nutrition Manager

Molalla Adult Community Center

Safety of loose dogs a concern

To the editor:

This letter is in regard to a concern I have with two dogs that, for the last few years, have been seen roaming the roads of the Highland area on a regular basis.

Many people who live or work in this area constantly see a yellow lab and a black lab, always paired together, running down the road. Typically they are seen on Butte Road, Ridge Road, Upper Highland, and Lower Highland. While there have been many close calls, this week was the first time that I specifically came inches away from hitting the black lab with my car. I am afraid that someone, traveling at high speeds will not see these dogs in time. This will be bad for both the dog and person who hit it (or wrecks their car swerving). These dogs clearly belong to someone, as they look healthy, and I believe one even wears a collar. As a dog lover, myself, co-workers and neighbors urge the owners to please keep a close eye on their dogs. Thank you.

Ramona Welle

Beavercreek

Once an Indian, always an Indian

To the editor:

Once an Indian, Always an Indian

In writing thank you notes for Christmas gifts, I realized that I needed to write a big thank you to all those who helped me make the class of 68s class reunion an awesome event.

To Charlie and Susan Williams and Bob Yoder, super-thanks for the use of the teepee and totem pole; great job on the T-shirts also.

Kristy Stephens, our local window painter, you did a fantastic job painting our buck and squaw cut-out for photos. Ian Itschner, thank you for taking those photos.

Great classmates made all the difference; fun party at Doug and Judy Quades party shop, and to Doug, you came to my rescue doing all the computer work and the slide show.

Carol Maloy, thank you for doing the reservation making and all the printing.

Susan Shultz, the teepee centerpieces were perfect and the cake was a hit.